49 counties · Boom Town Index

Ohio

Avg BTI Score
49 / 100
Population
10.5M
+0.2% avg growth
National Rank
#30 of 51

State Overview

Ohio's economy in 2025-2026 is experiencing a period of rebalancing, with a focus on advanced manufacturing, energy, and life sciences sectors. Major investments, such as Intel's semiconductor plant in Central Ohio and Amgen's biopharmaceutical campus, are driving job creation and capital investment across the state. While the state saw a slight decline in overall employment in 2025, specific sectors like goods-producing and health care are expanding.

The housing market is characterized by affordability and tight inventory, particularly in metropolitan areas like Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Dayton. Home prices are projected to appreciate modestly, with Columbus seeing consistent growth. State policy changes in 2025 addressed property tax reform and introduced new residential development programs, aiming to improve affordability and encourage housing production. However, migration data indicates a shift, with Ohio ranking lower in U-Haul's 2025 Growth Index, suggesting a net outflow of one-way customers.

Median Household Income
$67,934
State median across 49 counties
Median Home Value
$186,800
Income-to-home ratio: 0.35
Building Permits
31,264
Total residential permits
Natural Amenity
4.3 / 10
#42 of 49 · USDA scale

Ohio Counties

49 counties
Rank County BTI Score Safety Proj. Growth GDP Pop Growth Income Ratio Home Price Climate P/R
01 Wayne County 97 A +4.5% — -0.0% +2.5% 9.0x +4.2% -3.2 15x
02 Ashland County 96 B +6.4% — -0.1% +7.5% 10.4x +6.1% -2.8 17x
03 Jefferson County 95 C+ +5.6% — -0.5% +3.6% 7.8x +3.3% -0.8 14x
04 Geauga County 92 B +5.9% — 0.0% +7.0% 14.7x +4.6% -2.5 13x
05 Hancock County 90 B +5.8% — -0.0% +4.9% 5.4x +2.8% -2.6 14x
06 Allen County 88 C +5.8% — -0.3% +3.3% 5.5x +7.8% -2.4 12x
07 Erie County 87 B +6.1% — -0.5% +5.2% 7.9x +2.1% -0.9 10x
08 Portage County 85 B+ +5.2% — +0.3% +4.0% 10.6x +4.7% -2.2 14x
09 Trumbull County 79 C +6.6% — -0.2% +2.5% 8.2x +8.4% -2.1 11x
10 Mahoning County 72 D +6.2% — -0.2% +2.5% 7.0x +6.9% -1.7 12x
11 Washington County 69 B +4.6% — -0.6% +3.7% 7.0x +4.6% 0.2 18x
12 Summit County 68 D +5.6% — -0.0% +0.8% 6.6x +4.3% -2.4 14x
13 Muskingum County 67 B+ +4.6% — +0.0% +2.7% 8.1x +2.0% 0.4 14x
14 Richland County 67 B- +6.2% — -0.0% +3.2% 8.0x +7.2% -2.9 15x
15 Greene County 66 B+ +4.7% — +0.7% +2.5% 7.3x +3.4% -2.0 13x
16 Cuyahoga County 63 F +4.6% — -0.3% +2.6% 4.5x +3.9% -0.6 11x
17 Marion County 63 B- +5.5% — -0.2% +3.6% 7.7x +7.0% -3.9 15x
18 Sandusky County 63 B+ +5.0% — +0.0% -0.3% 7.1x +5.3% -2.5 17x
19 Athens County 62 B+ +5.3% — +0.3% +4.0% 10.5x +4.7% -0.0 16x
20 Lucas County 62 D +5.6% — -0.2% +3.5% 5.6x +4.8% -0.9 12x
21 Medina County 60 A +5.3% — +0.3% +2.5% 13.8x +4.1% -3.2 13x
22 Lake County 55 B+ +5.2% — +0.1% +3.8% 8.1x +3.4% -0.4 13x
23 Darke County 50 B- +5.5% — -0.1% -0.3% 9.1x +8.3% -3.3 18x
24 Stark County 46 C+ +4.5% — -0.0% +3.3% 7.7x +4.5% -2.5 14x
25 Ashtabula County 42 D +5.9% — -0.2% +4.0% 10.7x +6.7% -0.9 16x
26 Columbiana County 42 B+ +4.2% — -0.5% -0.5% 10.5x +3.6% -0.2 17x
27 Knox County 42 B- +5.0% — +0.4% -0.1% 12.8x +5.6% -2.9 21x
28 Huron County 41 B+ +4.8% — -0.2% +2.9% 8.2x +6.1% -3.1 16x
29 Lorain County 40 C+ +4.5% — +0.8% +3.8% 12.2x +4.9% -0.3 14x
30 Licking County 39 B +3.9% — +0.8% +4.2% 10.8x +3.7% -0.6 13x
31 Butler County 36 B- +4.2% — +0.8% +0.5% 9.2x +3.1% -1.6 14x
32 Franklin County 34 D +2.4% — +0.9% +1.9% 6.4x +0.1% -2.4 16x
33 Seneca County 34 B- +4.3% — -0.2% +1.6% 8.9x +5.1% -3.4 15x
34 Clark County 31 C +3.6% — -0.2% +3.8% 9.5x +4.5% -2.0 12x
35 Clermont County 29 B+ +4.4% — +0.6% +2.8% 14.9x +2.9% -0.1 14x
36 Miami County 29 B +3.8% — +0.7% +3.6% 10.5x +3.1% -2.3 13x
37 Hamilton County 26 D +3.1% — +0.3% +2.3% 5.0x +1.5% -1.4 13x
38 Montgomery County 26 D +3.9% — +0.1% +2.7% 6.0x +3.8% -2.2 12x
39 Lawrence County 24 C+ +3.9% — -1.0% +6.3% 11.7x +3.5% -1.1 14x
40 Fairfield County 24 B+ +3.8% — +1.3% +4.5% 18.2x +1.9% -0.2 14x
41 Wood County 21 B +4.2% — +0.2% +1.5% 6.9x +1.8% -2.8 12x
42 Pickaway County 20 B +4.1% — +1.2% +1.5% 16.1x +3.4% -2.2 21x
43 Scioto County 20 C +5.4% — -0.7% +2.1% 7.7x +8.7% -1.0 16x
44 Ross County 19 B +4.8% — -0.3% +2.5% 7.7x +3.2% -1.1 16x
45 Tuscarawas County 18 B+ +4.9% — -0.2% +0.8% 8.6x +7.0% -0.3 17x
46 Belmont County 15 B+ +3.7% — -0.8% -2.4% 9.5x +3.4% 0.1 16x
47 Warren County 14 A +3.6% — +1.5% +2.1% 12.2x +1.4% -1.1 15x
48 Delaware County 5 A +2.5% — +2.6% +2.6% 13.2x +0.4% -1.6 23x
49 Union County 3 B+ +2.8% — +3.1% +2.6% 8.4x +1.4% -3.5 17x

Capital Investment in Ohio

Tracked Projects · Public Records
$107.7B
Total tracked investment
25,510
Jobs announced
187
Projects across 45 counties

Where the money is going

Energy $48.6B 45%
Data Centers $46.3B 43%
Manufacturing $7.0B 6%
Commercial/Residential $2.8B 3%
Infrastructure $1.6B 2%
Industrial/Logistics $667M 1%

Top counties by investment

  1. 01 Scioto County $34.4B
    5 projects · 270 jobs
  2. 02 Greene County $14.3B
    5 projects · 1,100 jobs
  3. 03 Trumbull County $5.7B
    5 projects · 500 jobs
  4. 04 Warren County $5.5B
    6 projects · 2,525 jobs
  5. 05 Fairfield County $4.5B
    5 projects · 737 jobs
  6. 06 Mahoning County $4.3B
    6 projects · 284 jobs

Largest projects in Ohio

Project County Amount Status
Portsmouth Powered Land Project (Natural Gas Plant)
SB Energy (SoftBank subsidiary) · Energy
 Scioto County $33.0B Proposed
Project Hummingbird Data Center Campus
Essential Utilities & International Electric Power (IEP) · Data Centers · 1,000 jobs
 Greene County $10.0B Proposed
AWS Data Center (Xenia)
Amazon Web Services (AWS) · Data Centers · 100 jobs
 Greene County $4.0B Under Construction
Stargate AI Data Center Campus
OpenAI, Oracle, SoftBank · Data Centers
 Trumbull County $3.6B Under Construction
Lordstown Data Center Campus (Stargate Project)
Bristolville 25 Developer LLC (in collaboration with OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank Group Corp.) · Data Centers · 134 jobs
 Mahoning County $3.6B Proposed
Amazon Data Center
Amazon · Data Centers · 200 jobs
 Warren County $3.0B Planned
Ultium Cells Battery Cell Manufacturing Facility
Ultium Cells LLC (GM & LG Energy Solution joint venture) · Manufacturing · 2,200 jobs
 Warren County $2.3B Operating
Vantage Data Centers OH2 - Millersport Campus
Vantage Data Centers Management Company, LLC · Data Centers · 37 jobs
 Fairfield County $2.1B Planned
→ Methodology · How We Tracked $4T Across 858 Counties

Source: public records, corporate announcements, state EDC filings. Tracking projects with $25M+ in announced investment or 500+ jobs. Some figures are estimates where exact totals weren't disclosed.

Ohio shaded relief terrain map
SRTM 30m shaded relief
State Spotlight · 2026-04-29

Ohio's economy rebalances with manufacturing and infrastructure investments

Driving economic growth

Major capital investments are fueling growth in specific Ohio regions. Intel's semiconductor plant in New Albany and Amgen's biopharmaceutical campus near Columbus are creating thousands of jobs and substantial new payroll. Additionally, Centrus is expanding its uranium enrichment facility in Piketon, adding jobs in southern Ohio's energy sector.

Housing market trends

Ohio's housing market is experiencing steady price appreciation, with forecasts of 2-4% growth in 2026 across key markets like Cincinnati and Dayton. Central Ohio, particularly the Columbus area, saw median home prices in the $315,000 to $320,000 range in early 2026, with moderate year-over-year increases. Inventory remains tight in major metros, contributing to buyer competition.

Migration patterns

Ohio experienced a significant drop in U-Haul's 2025 Growth Index, falling to 43rd from 14th in 2024, indicating a net loss of one-way customers. While the state attracted a net gain of over 1,000 people in 2023, primarily international migrants, domestic migration has been challenging. Columbus and its surrounding suburbs, such as Marysville and Delaware, continue to attract new residents.

Headwinds and risks

Ohio saw a decline in overall employment in 2025, with a loss of 5,600 jobs between December 2024 and December 2025, primarily in service sectors and federal government. The state's labor force participation rate also decreased. Outdated zoning codes and a shortage of attainably-priced homes continue to pressure the housing market.

Key facts

  • Ohio Department of Transportation is undertaking a record-breaking $3.4 billion construction season in 2026, including 977 new projects statewide. (Ohio Department of Transportation, March 2026)
  • Ohio enacted comprehensive property tax reform in December 2025, expected to deliver over $3 billion in relief to homeowners, with changes taking effect with 2026 tax bills. (Ohio REALTORS®, December 2025)
  • JobsOhio launched a Relocation Incentive in 2025 to attract STEM and experienced talent to the state, utilized by over 200 employers across all seven regions. (JobsOhio, January 2026)
  • The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is projected to average around 6% in 2026, down from approximately 7% at the start of 2025. (National Association of REALTORS®, January 2026)
  • Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus was ranked the best large employer in Ohio for 2026 by Forbes. (Forbes, February 2026)
Updated 2026-04-29 · grounded research
19 sources
  1. realwealth.com
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  5. saukmortgagegroup.com
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  10. ohiorealtors.org
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  19. mahoningmatters.com